E2 Shop System Software

Peace of mind that what is being reported is accurate.

Pros

The ease of use is what I like the most. We were able to install and "run" with this program. We did NOT need a lot of extra reports or functions - the system already had what we needed and wanted built into it.

Cons

Just a couple of the quirks (tab vs enter on some screens). I do not like that the inventory issued to jobs does not deduct the GL balance. That is a manual entry that I do at the end of the month.

We use this system every day to manage our manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution activities.

Pros

Our company has utilized E2 for 18 years and I have been a user for 13+ years. It is a robust system. We have had virtually no downtime due to system related issues. We started with the MDB version and migrated to SQL about 7 years ago. No issues with either. The support team has always been superb - - easy to get a hold of and not in a hurry to hang up. I appreciate that.

Overall just a really good software package and a great company to deal with. If you invest in this software, do yourself a favor and get Crystal Reports and write your own reports for data retrieval. System is open to allow for this functionality and will make the use of the data even better.

Cons

The ability to customize is limited in regards to functionality. The company prefers to keep the backbone "vanilla" and I do understand it. However there are times that we could get a big gain from a tweak and we are just not able to get it done.

It's filling the need for quoting and job tracking, but only because it cost so much to purchase that we are unable to change at this time.

Pros

Allows you to track jobs from quoting to invoicing. You can add pictures and descriptions of the items to be built and track the quality of the item including the employee doing the work.

Cons

Doesn't integrate with all programs as promised; not able to edit wording on some documents that the program produces; not able to add a logo and address with ease; support gives you the run around IF you can reach someone when you call.

Pros

This program is very basic so if you learn how to use one part of the system you can learn how to use the other parts of the system because they all look the same

Cons

This software does not allow for any changes to be made, and if you want to make a change you have to pay hundreds of dollars to do so. It is very set in the way it was build and you cannot change anything to make it easier for your company. First the shop floor doesnt account for scraps, they assume you will remake them so if you have any scraps and want to throw them out and move on to the next step of production then it wont count that step as being done. Then the accounting is put into many steps and the system gets easily overcrowded. the general ledger is done in too many steps to be accurate. The system will not work for orders of more than one line because if you want to unprocess an order in a second line after the first one was shipped, you cannot. Youre stuck with this floating error in your system that you cannot get rid of.
I personally do not recommend this to anyone. The system isnt very helpful, i feel like you could organize your data much better even on excel sheets than this program does. Finally their customer support do not know anything, as an experienced user of this i call them and ask for help with some easier things and they cannot provide me with an adequate answer, then through trial and error on my own part I find what i was looking to accomplish. Overll I am very dissatisfied with this system;the way its run, the way its reports are made, and how easy it is to create errors but its nearly impossible and in some cases impossible to correct them.

Pros

Ease of use. Very user friendly. We have modified several of the menus. I am sure if we used it as it was originally written, it would be VERY good.

Cons

The accounting package. Too much of a journal entry system to keep the general ledger balanced. This leaves a lot of room for error.

It works well keeping us up to date with financials, is okay but flawed at time keeping. Our front office has to spend 2 hours every morning adjusting it. You can tell which job an employee is clocked into. Routing and estimation works well if you are very experienced with a lot of machining and programming background. There are other software packages that don't require as much skill to use.

Pros

It is windows based software so it makes using it intuitively. The original modules work really well.

Cons

Tech support not being able to solve bugs in the system. Scheduling and Quality modules don't perform well and aren't intuitive at all. Our customer service representative is only interested in selling products and services not in helping us resolve performance issues with the system.

Bar Code scanning and routing and keeping track of orders.

Pros

Keeping track of orders and due dates. routing is a big plus to see where the next operation is for the part to be machined.

Cons

The time clock feature needs to be more secure for date entry. Anyone can clock in for any person. Finger print scanning is what we do to be more secure.

Pros

HOW EASY IT IS TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE SYSTEM. HOW THE SYSTEM KEEPS UP WITH ALL THE MATERIAL AND STOCK.

Cons

IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE INVOICES AND/ORDERS YOU HAVE TO CLICK ALL THE WAY OUT AFTER EVERY ENTRY TO START THE NEXT ENTRY

Pros

I like that it integrates with my UPS. That it will sync tracking numbers to my E2 when a customer calls for status it's only a click away.

The system is very versatile, and can be used for a multitude of industries doing different things. The customer support is unlike anything I have ever used. Every question has an answer before your phone call is over.

Pros

I like the customer support the most along with the systems ease of use. All screens are of similar background which makes learning the new modules much less intimidating.

Cons

The accounting module uses batch accounting which I find a hassle .. I like information flowing to the G/L instantly so I can view my bottom line and see how entries affect my companies financial position.

Advice to Others

Excellent software. Versatile. Great customer support.

Our E2 experience has been great since day 1. Shoptech was the only software company that we were looking at that sent a sales rep to our facility. We had looked at several others at the time and they all displayed their system via "Go to Meeting" scenarios. Rep brought the E2 package to our shop. He gave all of us an opportunity to "test drive" it. By far the most user friendly package we had looked at.
Once we purchased the software and had it installed, customer rep came to our shop for 2 days of hands on training. He was also very cooperative days and weeks after the fact to answer any questions we had as we navigated through the system. We have been using E2 for almost 4 years and it has enhanced our operation on many levels.
I would recommend E2 to anyone considering it.
Very functional, versatile and user friendly.

Found that the inventory is hard to keep accurate, and you have to go thru so many layers to fix the problem

I had great help with some questions about my maintenance fees. Kyle was very helpful and was able to help me.

Currently used to designate jobs and responsitility among staff. Overall good product for shop time management

Very little in the function aspect as to logistics. Not capable of any barcoding automation in the "Shipping" tab.

I have been thoroughly impressed with the system, it's ease of use and set up has been impressive.

All of the support staff from implementation to help desk have been so helpful and made this experience a little less intimidating.

Pros

Ease of use, forgiving nature - mistakes can be corrected easily. Set up was also simple and made implementation a little easier.

Cons

I would like the ability to give read access to some of the modules but it seems you have to give all or none in regards to permissions. This has caused us a little heartburn.

Although E2 comes with many useful built in features, the versatility in the form of user designed fields and custom forms makes it a powerful tool for data customization. The user interface is practically self-explanatory making it easy to get new employees on board and productive quickly and efficiently.

Excellent Customer support and the ability to problem solve Job Shop issues with product knowledge. We utilize 90 percent of E2 in our business and are happy with its performance in all areas.
It is a very powerful tool that creates valuable reports in which we can make knowledgeable decisions based on facts to drive the business forward on a daily basis.

Pros

Consistency between modules makes ease of use sense

Cons

Scheduler does not go deep enough for our needs

Advice to Others

Well worth the effort to implement. I don't think there is an easy way to implement any software of this depth. It forces a business to look deep into itself as to how it wants to operate ect.. and forces you to make decisions that will affect the direction of the company in the future pro actively.

We have been able to start true costing in our shop and it has made pulling reports for our performance measures very easy. I'm looking forward to see other improvements that E2 will create in our facility.

Pros

Ease of use, tractability in the shop and the system works well with the incorporation of ISO

Cons

Not having the ability to make design changes to the travelers and not being able to change parts numbers

We've had great success with E2-Shop software. My biggest kudos go to the tech support group. They are always prompt, accurate and they speak English.